The Rugby Championship 2023

South Africa, the current Rugby World Cup champions, open the 2023 Rugby Championship at home against Eddie Jones' Australia. 

The Springboks will try to maintain their excellent record against the Australians when they play on the Highveld in Pretoria. 

Jacques Nienaber and his team will be confident in securing the full five points before their travel to New Zealand the following week. They last lost to the Wallabies in South Africa back in 2011. 

The Springboks, who are currently rated fourth in the world, will try to build off their success in 2019 and use the Rugby Championship as a launching pad for future World Cup glory. 

The Boks have already announced their squad for round one, but Siya Kolisi, their crucial captain, is still recovering from knee surgery. 

Duane Vermeulen, the eighth-ranked veteran, will assume the lead in the opening round in his place, and one of Lukhanyo Am or Eben Etzebeth is expected to overtake him in the closing rounds. 

2022 Form 

In a year without a World Cup, the Springboks' victory percentage of 61%—eight victories from thirteen matches—is about average. 

However, it appeared to be a case of the Boks taking two leaps ahead and one step back in 2022. 

The start of the season was significantly hampered by a historic first loss at home to Wales in the June series. 

In retrospect, Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber's decision to substantially rotate their squad during the series may have been a wise one for creating squad depth as the Boks recovered to win the series 2–1 a week later. 

The Boks' strategy of brute physicality without any true cutting edge was still exposed as having its limits while playing against a Welsh team that was far from classic. 

Then came a crushing defeat of New Zealand in the opening round of the Rugby Championship, only to suffer a similar outcome a week later. 

The most disappointing result of the previous season was possibly not being able to double down on their weakest opponents. The Boks are aware that losing that psychological edge might hurt them in the long run because teams rarely have the All Blacks on the ropes for a sustained period of time. 

Analysing the results of the Wallabies splitting a series away from home proved challenging. The Boks brutalised the Australians in round two to leave down under on a high after being clearly outwitted in the first round. 

South Africa's dominance over the South Americans was confirmed by back-to-back triumphs over Argentina, giving them nine wins out of 10 against Los Pumas. 

The journey north to play the top two teams in the world, Ireland and France, came next. The fact that they lost both games by a razor-thin margin could be attributed to a poor showing from the kicking tee, emphasising how crucial Handre Pollard is to their chances of qualifying for this year's World Cup. 

Given the current gap in player skill between the two countries, back-to-back convincing wins over Italy and England may have covered certain flaws. 

There is a sense that the Boks did not quite hit their stride consistently enough in 2022, despite all of their bluster with their opening-round triumph over the All Blacks.

Key Player 

Eben Etzebeth, who is very likely the best secondrow in the history of the sport, will once again be a crucial component of the Bok puzzle this season. 

Etzebeth, Lukhanyo Am, Steven Kitshoff, and Duane Vermeulen will serve as important leaders during the Championship because Siya Kolisi and Handre Pollard are both injured and unable to play. 

Unfortunately, because Nienaber decided to send half of his team to New Zealand a week early, spectators won't get to see the tantalising showdown between Etzebeth and Wallabies Will Skelton and Richie Arnold. 

Etzebeth will nevertheless face numerous difficulties as she once more faces Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock. 

Prediction 

The Springboks are the best World Cup preparation team in the world. The Boks are typically always contenders going into the competition, seemingly having an unbreakable form. 

Erasmus and Nienaber will be attempting to match their performance from 2019, after the All Blacks one again narrowly defeated them in 2018. 

The Springboks used a similar strategy of splitting their squad to become the first team to win both the Rugby Championship and Rugby World Cup in the same year. 

One really needs to strain their eyes to see which is the Bok 'A' team at the present because there are so many talented South African players available. 

Having said that, much has been said about the Wallabies' unpredictable play under Eddie Jones. It is challenging to imagine the Australians prevailing in Pretoria given the distance and altitude involved. 

The following match will be an All Blacks team that will be returning from Argentina in round two. presenting yet another chance to get one over on their biggest opponents. 

Argentina, who will fly from Sydney to Johannesburg for the match at Ellis Park, will be the final opponent in round three. 

Therefore, it doesn't take a fortune teller to realise that the Boks have a strong likelihood of earning three straight victories. 

The draw this year is about as good as it gets, so even if they do falter occasionally, they will start 2023 off with the same Rugby Championship title they won in 2019.

Are matches for the Rugby Championship scheduled for 2023?

We anticipate the beginning of the 2023 Rugby Championship when New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, and Argentina square off this month, live on Sky Sports. This year's championship is a sprint rather than a marathon, taking place during a shorter three-week period before the Rugby World Cup, which begins in France at the beginning of September.

Where can I watch the 2023 Rugby World Cup?

Watch the competition via 9Now, Sky Sports, or a different platform.

In what location will the Rugby Championship be held?

The Rugby Championship, which has been condensed, kicks off on Saturday in Pretoria and Mendoza, with the top four teams of the southern hemisphere hoping to gain momentum and resolve selection difficulties before the Rugby World Cup.

The Rugby Championship 2023